Physician and former state legislator brings decades of health care and policy experience to the board
Oklahoma State Treasurer Todd Russ recently appointed emergency physician and former state legislator Doug Cox to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Board of Directors.
Cox replaces Jack Allen, whose seven-year term expired June 30, 2026.
Cox has practiced family and emergency medicine in Grove for decades and currently serves as medical director for ACG Hospice Grove, and president of the provider-led Organization for Aetna Better Health Oklahoma Medicaid program. He represented District 5 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2004 to 2016, where he chaired the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health Care.
Cox will now serve on the seven-member board, which allocates annual endowment earnings to fund TSET's public health grants and programs.
“Doug brings a rare vantage point to this board,” said TSET Board Chair Jennifer Needham. “He’s treated the consequences of tobacco use and chronic disease firsthand in the emergency room, and he’s also sat at the table where the state decides how to fund the systems meant to prevent those very outcomes. We’re fortunate to have someone who understands both sides of that equation as we chart TSET’s next chapter.”
Cox received the Oklahoma State Department of Health's Public Health Innovator Award in 2016 and Oklahoma State University's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023. He was inducted into the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2025.
During his time in the legislature, he authored legislation extending SoonerCare health insurance coverage for young Oklahomans attending college from age 18 to 23, and worked with OSU Center for Health Sciences leadership to establish the OSU Hospital Authority, securing stable funding for the OSU Medical Center.
Cox earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Oklahoma State University in 1974 and his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1978. He is of Muscogee (Creek) descent.
“I want to thank Doug for his willingness to serve his state in this capacity,” Treasurer Russ said. “His career reflects a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of Oklahomans through both medicine and public service. With his firsthand understanding of the health challenges facing our communities and his experience shaping public policy, I’m confident he will provide thoughtful leadership and help advance TSET’s mission to improve the health of future generations.”
Cox said his medical experience is exactly what draws him to TSET’s work.
“I’m excited to join the TSET Board of Directors,” Cox said. “I’ve spent my career in the emergency room seeing the toll that tobacco use and preventable illness take on Oklahoma families. I look forward to working alongside this board to build on the progress TSET has made and to help every Oklahoman live a longer, healthier life.”
Cox will serve a seven-year term on the TSET Board of Directors.
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The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) is building a healthier future for all Oklahomans. As a state grantmaking entity, TSET supports community programs, public health initiatives and research to prevent the leading causes of chronic disease. TSET grants and partnerships help to reduce tobacco use, improve nutrition, advance medicine and increase access to active, healthy living. Created by voters and funded by the Master Settlement Agreement, TSET is creating lasting change in schools, workplaces and communities across the state. Learn more at Oklahoma.gov/TSET.
TSET – Better Lives Through Better Health